An antenna is a transducer designed to transmit and/or receive radio, television, microwave, telephone and radar signals, i.e. an antenna converts electrical currents of a particular frequency into electromagnetic waves and vice versa. Physically, an antenna is an arrangement of on or more electrical conductors that is arranged to generate a radiating electromagnetic field in response to an applied alternating voltage and the associated alternating electric current, or that can be placed in an electromagnetic field so that the field will induce an alternating current in the antenna and a voltage between its terminals.
Portable wireless communication electronic devices, such as mobile phones, typically include an antenna that is connected to electrically conducting tracks or contacts on a punted circuit board (PCB) by soldering or welding. Manufacturers of such electronic devices are under constant pressure to reduce the physical size, weight and cost of the devices and improve their electrical performance. This low cost requirement dictates that the electronic device and its antenna should be simple and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble.
A further challenge facing manufacturers is to provide electronic devices with a compact, high gain, multi-band antenna to cover a wider frequency range demanded by new bands in the Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard.